This application is for a Training Program in the Pharmacological Sciences to support seven outstanding predoctoral students who will be working for a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacological and Physiological Science (PPS) or the program of their mentor with research emphasis on cellular communication and control exerted through the endocrine, cardiovascular and nervous system. This is a broadly based, multidisciplinary effort which involves 29 faculty members from six departments in the School of Medicine at Saint Louis University. These include: Pharmacological and Physiological Science; Anatomy and Neurobiology; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Internal Medicine; Ophthalmology and Pathology. Students will be selected from among candidates entering the Pharmacological and Physiological Science or the program of their mentor after successfully completing the one year Core Program in Basic Biomedical Science, M.D./Ph.D. students who have completed the basic science curriculum and now wish to obtain the Ph.D. degree in Pharmacological and Physiological Science or the program of their mentor and finally students who enter the Pharmacological and Physiological Science Program with an advanced standing. During the first year of study, all traditional Ph.D. students will participate in the interdisciplinary Core Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences. This program has been designed to provide students with a strong foundation in all aspects of basic biomedical science and the freedom to explore diverse research opportunities. The curriculum combines lectures, small group discussion and seminars. Students completing the Core Program, M.D./Ph.D. students or students with M.S. degrees will enter the program in Pharmacological and Physiological Science or the program of their mentor and take advanced courses, journal clubs and seminars. Subsequent training for all Ph.D. candidates will concentrate on the development of research and teaching competence in a specific area of inquiry under the mentorship of one or more members of the Pharmacological Sciences Training Faculty. The mentors and laboratories participating in this program are well equipped to provide state-of-the-art research training. In addition, core and shared facilities for advanced technologies are available for enhancement of the research training of the participating candidates. The overall objectives of this training program are to provide individuals with the opportunity to achieve a high degree of competence in the area of pharmacological sciences thus preparing them for teaching and research careers. [unreadable] [unreadable]